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In a time where films, documentaries, and series about food and kitchen culture — the Chef’s Tables, Burnts, and The Bears of the world — are seemingly always climbing in popularity, the same can’t be said for the beverage aspect of the culinary experience. The occasional film comes through, such as Bottle Shock, Sideways, or Drinking Buddies, but outside of that, documentaries such as Somm or Living Wine seem few and far between. As such, it’s refreshing when a filmmaker like Jerry Franck comes along to bring us a documentary like Bottle Conditioned, an intimate, fond look at a type of beer that’s integral to Belgian culture and heritage: the lambic.
Bubbles, Barrel, Bottle
Bottle Conditioned primarily follows three major brewers and blenders in the lambic community: Jean Van Roy as well as his father Jean-Pierre of Cantillon Brewery, Armand Debelder (whose memory this film is dedicated to), co-owner of 3 Fonteinen Brewery along with his wife, and Raf Souvereyns, blender and founder of Bokke. Each has their own perspective and ideals about their company, and how things should be (Jean-Pierre, for instance, can’t stand that people drink beer and take notes). One thing they all share, though, is an unwavering passion for the lambic, its descendant the gueuze — a type of beer made from blending lambic of different ages — and its place within Belgian history and beer culture.
source: Cynasty Films
We spend a lot of time in Pajottenland, a region of Belgium near Brussels where these companies reside. Unlike many beers, where yeast is added, lambics are made through natural, open-air fermentation, and the microorganisms in the air of this region are very specific to the lambic. Massive barrels filled with aging beer line the walls of facilities, as well as cellars filled with bottles even decades old, being kept safe until the time is right for them to be enjoyed. In addition to the history of lambics and gueuzes, multiple presentations and events are showcased, highlighting this small but tight-knit community whose passion for beer leads to rare bottles being sold for up to $10,000 apiece.
Bottle Conditioned: A Delicious Documentary
Franck, along with collaborator Courtney Marsh and their team, has taken a beer that might be lesser-known to the average consumer and highlighted its depth and beauty for a larger audience. Eurocentric enthusiasts will love hearing about this fermented favorite straight from the legends who make it, and the clear love the filmmakers have as a well-framed shot allows the light to gleam through the tulip glass that cradles the beverage. For those unfamiliar with lambics, this is a fresh documentary about a beer known for being aged, and I recommend pairing it with a glass or two for yourself.
Bottle Conditioned is now available through VOD.
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